U.S. patent number 7,410,202 [Application Number 11/348,418] was granted by the patent office on 2008-08-12 for flat control element for controlling a vehicle component.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen of America, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kai Christen Rose, Arne Stoschek.
United States Patent |
7,410,202 |
Rose , et al. |
August 12, 2008 |
Flat control element for controlling a vehicle component
Abstract
A substantially flat control element for controlling a vehicle
component has touch-sensitive regions and is configured to generate
control signals for moving the vehicle component into respective
end positions in response to a first and a third one of the
touch-sensitive regions of the control element being touched. A
second region of the control element has subregions for allowing a
variable adjustment of the vehicle component into intermediate
positions between the end positions.
Inventors: |
Rose; Kai Christen (Berlin,
DE), Stoschek; Arne (Palo Alto, CA) |
Assignee: |
Volkswagen AG (Wolfsburg,
DE)
Volkswagen of America, Inc. (Auburn Hills, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
37771023 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/348,418 |
Filed: |
February 6, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
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|
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20070182215 A1 |
Aug 9, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
296/146.2;
200/61.71; 296/146.16; 49/502 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R
16/005 (20130101); E05Y 2900/55 (20130101); H01H
2217/04 (20130101); E05F 15/689 (20150115); H01H
2300/01 (20130101); E05Y 2400/35 (20130101); E05Y
2400/86 (20130101); H01H 2300/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60J
5/04 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;296/146.2,146.16
;49/502 ;200/61.71 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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197 52 774 |
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Jun 1999 |
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DE |
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198 48 941 |
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May 2000 |
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DE |
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101 01 004 |
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Jul 2002 |
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DE |
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102 06 968 |
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Aug 2003 |
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DE |
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2418741 |
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Apr 2006 |
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GB |
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WO 00/72239 |
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Nov 2000 |
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WO |
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WO 02/052391 |
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Jul 2002 |
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WO |
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WO 2004/048726 |
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Jun 2004 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Pedder; Dennis H
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Manfred Beck, P.A.
Claims
We claim:
1. A vehicle configuration, comprising: a vehicle component
configured to move between a first position and a second position;
a control element for controlling said vehicle component, said
control element having a substantially flat, touch-sensitive first
region, a substantially flat, touch-sensitive second region, and a
substantially flat, touch-sensitive third region; said control
element being configured to generate a control signal for moving
said vehicle component into the first position in response to said
first region of said control element being touched; said second
region of said control element having subregions for allowing a
variable adjustment of said vehicle component into intermediate
positions between the first position and the second position, said
control element being configured to generate a control signal for
moving said vehicle component into a given intermediate position
between the first position and the second position in response to a
given one of said subregions of said second region of said control
element being touched; said subregions of said second region of
said control element being positioned with respect to one another
such that adjacent ones of said subregions of said second region of
said control element when being touched cause said vehicle
component to move into corresponding adjacent intermediate
positions between the first position and the second position; said
control element being configured to generate a control signal for
moving said vehicle component into the second position in response
to said third region of said control element being touched; said
vehicle component having a peripheral region; said first, second
and third regions of said control element being disposed adjacent
to said vehicle component and extending along said peripheral
region of said vehicle component when said vehicle component is in
the first position; said first, second and third regions of said
control element being flexible and configured to lie flat against a
curved surface; said vehicle component being a window glass
configured to open and close a window opening by moving between the
first position corresponding to a closed position and the second
position corresponding to an opened position; said first region of
said control element extending along at least a portion of an upper
edge of said window opening; said second region of said control
element extending substantially entirely along a side edge of said
window opening; and said third region of said control element being
disposed adjacent to a lower edge of said window opening.
2. The vehicle configuration according to claim 1, including: a
window frame, said window frame holds said window glass and defines
said window opening; and at least said first and said second region
of said control element are disposed on said window frame.
3. The vehicle configuration according to claim 1, wherein said
first, second and third regions form a substantially flat
continuous band circling entirely around said window opening.
4. The vehicle configuration according to claim 1, including: a
vehicle roof portion disposed adjacent to said window opening; and
said first region of said control element being disposed above said
window opening on an inner side of said vehicle roof portion.
5. The vehicle configuration according to claim 1, including: a
vehicle A-pillar disposed adjacent to said window opening; and said
second region of said control element being disposed on said
vehicle A-pillar.
6. The vehicle configuration according to claim 1, including: a
vehicle A-pillar disposed adjacent to said window opening; and said
vehicle A-pillar having a bottom region and said third region of
said control element being disposed at said bottom region of said
vehicle A-pillar.
7. The vehicle configuration according to claim 1, including a
pictogram disposed on each of said first, second and third regions
of said control element, said pictogram indicating a control
function of a respective one of said first, second and third
regions of said control element.
8. The vehicle configuration according to claim 1, wherein said
control element includes a flexible fabric configured to lie flat
against a curved surface and said substantially flat,
touch-sensitive first, second and third regions of said control
element are formed by said flexible fabric.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a substantially flat control element for
intuitively controlling and adjusting a vehicle component such as a
window or a sliding roof.
Conventional power windows for motor vehicles generally use toggle
switches for controlling the process of opening and closing the
windows. Typically these toggle switches have two switch positions
wherein one of the switch positions allows the operator to open
i.e. lower a window and the other switch position allows the
operator to close, i.e. raise the window. If the operator wishes to
have the window only partially open, then the operator can adjust
the position of the window glass by pressing or pulling the toggle
switch for a period of time wherein the period of pressing or
pulling the toggle switch determines the position of the
window.
A disadvantage of using a toggle switch in the above-described
manner is that a precise adjustment of the position of the window
is difficult because it requires the operator to perform a
precisely timed actuation of the toggle switch. If the operator
actuates the toggle switch for a period that is too long or too
short, then the window moves too far or not far enough. In this
case, the operator has to adjust the position of the window by
actuating the toggle switch again. The operator may even have to
repeatedly actuate the toggle switch and move the window repeatedly
up and down until the window is in the desired position. Such an
operation is disadvantageous especially when the operator is
driving and should be concentrating on the traffic rather than on
raising and lowering the window.
In order to make it easier to raise or lower power windows of a
motor vehicle to a desired position, German Patent No. DE 198 48
941 C2 discloses a control for power windows of a motor vehicle
which uses a rotary switch for adjusting a position of a window.
The rotary switch has latch positions at given rotary angles and
has a neutral position into which the rotary switch springs back
after being actuated. Each rotary angle of a respective latch
position of the rotary knob corresponds to a given displacement
distance for the window. The relationship between the rotary angles
and the displacement distances is such that the displacement
distance of the window increases in a nonlinear manner with the
rotary angle of the rotary knob. This allows an easy adjustment of
the window position.
A disadvantage of the rotary switch as well as the toggle switch is
that they must be constructed in a robust manner and must be
mounted in a mechanically stable position because switches for
power windows must be able to endure frequent use over the lifetime
of a vehicle. These requirements regarding mechanical stability
result in constrictions with regard to the mounting positions,
switch geometries, and production technologies. A further
disadvantage of the above-described switches is that it is
expensive to make the switches aesthetically pleasing because their
color, surface finish, style and so forth must be matched to the
materials in the vicinity of the mounting position of the switch
and to the color and style of other switches in the vehicle.
Another disadvantage of the above-described switches is that they
include a number a mechanical and electrical components which not
only increase their complexity and cost but also means an increase
in the overall vehicle weight because a number of those switches
are used in a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a control
element for controlling a vehicle component which overcomes the
above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known control
elements of this general type and which provides an intuitive
control operation and makes it simple for an operator to precisely
control the vehicle component and which is cost-efficient to
manufacture and has an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in
accordance with the invention, a vehicle configuration, including:
a vehicle component configured to move between a first position and
a second position; a control element for controlling the vehicle
component, the control element having a substantially flat,
touch-sensitive first region, a substantially flat, touch-sensitive
second region, and a substantially flat, touch-sensitive third
region; the control element being configured to generate a control
signal for moving the vehicle component into the first position in
response to the first region of the control element being touched;
the second region of the control element having subregions for
allowing a variable adjustment of the vehicle component into
intermediate positions between the first position and the second
position, the control element being configured to generate a
control signal for moving the vehicle component into a given
intermediate position between the first position and the second
position in response to a given one of the subregions of the second
region of the control element being touched; the subregions of the
second region of the control element being positioned with respect
to one another such that adjacent ones of the subregions of the
second region of the control element when being touched cause the
vehicle component to move into corresponding adjacent intermediate
positions between the first position and the second position; and
the control element being configured to generate a control signal
for moving the vehicle component into the second position in
response to the third region of the control element being
touched.
An advantage of the above-defined control element is that, due to
its flat shape, the touch-sensitive regions can be intuitively
recognized as a representation of corresponding positions of a
vehicle component such as a side window or a sliding roof. Further,
since the touch-sensitive region that controls intermediate
positions of the vehicle component has subregions, it is possible
to precisely adjust the position of the vehicle component with a
single touch. For example, an operator can raise or lower a side
window precisely to a desired position with a single touch.
Further, an operator can slide a finger over the touch-sensitive
region in order to control the vehicle component in a precise
manner. A further advantage of the flat control element is that,
unlike conventional switches, it does not require a mechanically
stable mounting position and therefore can be attached to almost
any surface.
According to another feature of the invention, the vehicle
component has a peripheral region; and the first, second and third
regions of the control element are disposed adjacent to the vehicle
component and extend along the peripheral region of the vehicle
component when the vehicle component is in the first position. An
advantage of placing the control element right next to the vehicle
component to be controlled is that the operation of the control
element becomes more intuitive.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the vehicle
component is a window glass configured to open and close a window
opening by moving between the first position corresponding to a
closed position and the second position corresponding to an opened
position; the first region of the control element extends along at
least a portion of an upper edge of the window opening; the second
region of the control element extends substantially entirely along
a side edge of the window opening; and the third region of the
control element is disposed adjacent a lower edge of the window
opening.
According to a further feature of the invention, a window frame
holds the window glass and defines the window opening; and at least
the first and the second region of the control element are disposed
on the window frame.
According to another feature of the invention, the first, second
and third regions form a substantially flat continuous band
circling entirely around the window opening. This makes it easier
to reach the control element. If the control element circles for
example a front side window then even a passenger sitting in the
rear of the vehicle can reach the control element and open or close
the front side window.
According to yet another feature of the invention, a vehicle roof
portion is disposed adjacent the window opening; and the first
region of the control element is disposed above the window opening
on an inner side of the vehicle roof portion.
According to a further feature of the invention, a vehicle A-pillar
is disposed adjacent the window opening; and the second region of
the control element is disposed on the vehicle A-pillar.
According to yet a further feature of the invention, a vehicle
A-pillar is disposed adjacent the window opening; and the vehicle
A-pillar has a bottom region and the third region of the control
element is disposed at the bottom region of the vehicle A-pillar.
The above-defined embodiments are for example advantageous if the
vehicle roof and the A-pillar are easy to reach for the driver.
According to another feature of the invention, a pictogram is
disposed on each of the first, second and third regions of the
control element, the pictogram indicating a control function of a
respective one of the first, second and third regions of the
control element. This improves the intuitive operation of the
control element.
According to a further feature of the invention, a vehicle roof has
a roof opening formed therein; the vehicle component is a sliding
roof panel configured to open and close the roof opening by moving
between the first position corresponding to a closed position and
the second position corresponding to an opened position; and the
second region of the control element is disposed between the first
region and the third region of the control element. Putting the
first, second and third region in the above-defined positional
relationship, which corresponds to a closed, partially opened and
fully opened roof, makes it easy for the operator to realize that
the first, second and third regions of the flat control element
correspond to the various positions of the roof panel.
According to another feature of the invention, the control element
has a further region disposed between the first region and the
second region of the control element; and the control element is
configured to generate a control signal for moving the sliding roof
panel into a tilted position in response to the further region of
the control element being touched.
According to another feature of the invention, the sliding roof
panel has an adjustable transparency; the control element has a
further region for variably adjusting the transparency of the
sliding roof panel; the further region of the control element has
subregions, the control element being configured to generate a
control signal for variably adjusting the transparency of the
sliding roof panel in response to a given one of the subregions of
the further region of the control element being touched; and the
subregions of the further region of the control element being
positioned with respect to one another such that adjacent ones of
the subregions of the further region of the control element when
being touched sequentially cause the transparency of the sliding
roof panel to be changed by a minimum amount.
According to another feature of the invention, the sliding roof
panel has an adjustable transparency; the control element has
further regions for adjusting the transparency of the sliding roof
panel; a first one of the further regions of the control element is
disposed adjacent the first region of the control element and the
control element is configured to generate a control signal for
adjusting the transparency to a minimum transparency in response to
the first one of the further regions of the control element being
touched; a second one of the further regions of the control element
is disposed adjacent the second region of the control element and
the control element is configured to generate a control signal for
variably adjusting the transparency of the sliding roof panel to an
intermediate transparency wherein the intermediate transparency
depends on where the second one of the further regions of the
control element is being touched; and a third one of the further
regions of the control element is disposed adjacent the third
region of the control element and the control element is configured
to generate a control signal for adjusting the transparency to a
maximum transparency in response to the third one of the further
regions of the control element being touched. Positioning the
various regions of the control element in the above-defined manner
allows a logical control of two separate functions of the roof
panel.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the control
element includes a flexible fabric configured to lie flat against a
curved surface and the substantially flat, touch-sensitive first,
second and third regions of the control element are formed by the
flexible fabric. By using a flexible fabric the control element can
be mounted in an aesthetically pleasing manner on practically any
surface of the interior of the vehicle.
With the objects of the invention in view there is also provided, a
vehicle configuration, including:
a vehicle roof having a roof opening formed therein;
a roof panel having an adjustable transparency;
a control element having a substantially flat, touch-sensitive
first region, a substantially flat, touch-sensitive second region,
and a substantially flat, touch-sensitive third region;
the control element being configured to generate a control signal
for adjusting the transparency of the roof panel to a minimum
transparency in response to the first region of the control element
being touched;
the second region of the control element having subregions for
variably adjusting the transparency of the roof panel to an
intermediate transparency, the control element being configured to
generate a control signal for variably adjusting the transparency
of the roof panel to an intermediate transparency in response to a
given one of the subregions of the second region of the control
element being touched, the intermediate transparency being greater
than the minimum transparency and smaller than a maximum
transparency of the roof panel, the subregions of the second region
of the control element being positioned with respect to one another
such that adjacent ones of the subregions of the second region of
the control element when being touched sequentially cause the
transparency of the sliding roof panel to be changed by a minimum
amount; and
the control element is configured to generate a control signal for
adjusting the transparency of the roof panel to a maximum
transparency in response to the third region of the control element
being touched.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as
embodied in a control element for controlling a vehicle component,
it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown,
since various modifications and structural changes may be made
therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and
within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,
together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be
best understood from the following description of specific
embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective partial view of a motor
vehicle having a sliding roof panel and a window which can be
controlled by a control element according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a vehicle side
window configuration according to the invention when viewed from
the interior of the motor vehicle;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a further
embodiment of a side window configuration according to the
invention;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a another
embodiment of a side window configuration according to the
invention;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a control element for
controlling a roof panel of a vehicle in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of a control element for
controlling two functions of a roof panel in accordance with the
invention; and
FIGS. 7 to 9 are diagrammatic plan views of further embodiments of
control elements for controlling a roof panel in accordance with
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first,
particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, which is a diagrammatic
perspective partial view of a motor vehicle 1 having a roof 2 with
a roof opening 3. A sliding roof panel 4 opens and closes the roof
opening 3. The roof panel 4 can slide back and forth and can also
be brought into a tilted position. The motor vehicle 1 further has
a side window 5 with a window frame 6 and a window glass 7. FIG. 1
further shows the A-pillar 8 of the motor vehicle 1.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a vehicle side
window configuration according to the invention when viewed from
the interior of the vehicle. A side window 5 of the motor vehicle 1
includes a window glass 7 in a window opening 12. The window glass
7 can be lowered and raised in order to open and close the side
window 5. A boundary region 11 surrounds a peripheral region of the
window opening 12. The boundary region 11 may be formed by any
structural elements that surround the window opening 12. For
example, the boundary region 11 may be a window frame 6 as part of
a vehicle door. In case of a frameless window or in case the window
frame 6 is substantially covered by structural elements of the
vehicle chassis, then the boundary region 11 may also be made up
from several different structural elements surrounding the window
opening 12 such that the front portion of the boundary region 11
may be formed by the A-pillar 8 of the vehicle 1, the top portion
of the boundary region 11 may be formed by the inside of the
vehicle roof 2 adjacent to the window opening 12, the rear portion
of the boundary region 11 may be formed by the B-pillar 40 of the
vehicle and the bottom portion of the boundary region 11 may be
formed by the top portion of an inside door panel 13.
A flat, touch-sensitive control element 20 is provided in the
boundary region 11. The flat, touch-sensitive control element 20
detects a position corresponding to where an operator touches the
control element 20. The flat control element 20 may be embodied as
a position detection sensor that is constructed from a fabric. Such
a position detection sensor is for example disclosed in
International Publication No. WO 00/72239 A1. The flat control
element 20 may also be a capacitive sensor that detects a contact
with human skin due to a reduction of the sensor's capacitance when
being touched. Such a capacitive sensor is for example disclosed in
German Patent Application No. DE 102 06 968 A1.
The control element 20 is divided into three functional regions.
The first region 21 of the control element 20 is an upper region of
the control element 20 along the top of the side window 5. When the
operator touches the first region 21 of the control element 20,
then the window glass 7 is raised all the way to the top and the
window is completely closed. The second region 22 of the control
element 20 is provided between the upper region 21 of the control
element 20 and a lower region 23 of the control element 20. The
touch sensitivity of the second region 22 is position-dependent
which means that the second region 22 of the control element 20 is
conceptually divided into functional subregions 24 which is
indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 2. When the operator touches the
second region 22 of the control element 20, then the window glass 7
is raised or lowered such that the upper edge 30 of the window
glass 7 is substantially at the same height as the point where the
operator touched the second region 22 of the control element 20.
The third region 23 of the control element 20 is the lower region
of the control element 20 and is disposed below the second region
22 of the control element 20. When the operator touches the third
region 23 of the control element 20, then the window glass 7 is
lowered all the way down and the window is completely opened. The
first, second, and third regions 21, 22, 23 of the control element
20 are shown as areas having a given width. Alternatively, the
width of the first, second, and third regions 21, 22, 23 of the
control element 20 may be reduced such that the first, second, and
third regions 21, 22, 23 of the control element 20 essentially form
a line that follows the peripheral outline of the window opening
12. Since the control element 20 is being touched frequently, it is
preferred to provide the control element 20 as a stainresistant and
waterrepellent fabric or surface and/or select a color, surface
structure and mounting position for the control element 20 that
will prevent the control element from looking unappealing or
scuffed from frequent use.
The operation of the control element 20 is as follows. If the
operator wants to open the window completely, then the operator
touches the third region 23 of the control element 20. The
touch-sensitive control element 20 detects the manual interaction
in its third region 23 and causes a control of the window such that
the window glass 7 is lowered all the way down and thus the window
is completely opened. Similarly, if the operator wants to close the
window completely, then the operator will touch the first region 21
of the control element 20 above the window opening 12. The control
element 20 detects the touching in its first region 21 and causes
the window glass 7 to be raised to its top position and thus the
window is completely closed. In case the operator wishes to have
the window partially open, then the operator will touch the control
element 20 in its second region 22. Depending on where the operator
touches the second region 22 of the control element 20, i.e. which
subregion 24 along the longitudinal extension of the second region
22 the operator touches, the window glass 7 will be raised or
lowered to a desired position. Preferably, the upper edge 30 of the
window glass 7 will be substantially at the same level as the point
where the operator touches the second region 22 of the control
element 20. This operation provides an intuitive control for
opening and closing the window because the operator simply touches
a region along the periphery of the window opening 12 wherein the
point that the operator touches corresponds to the desired position
of the upper edge 30 of the window glass 7.
Additionally, the control operation allows a precise positioning of
the window glass 7 without requiring the operator to repeatedly
raise and lower the window glass 7 until a desired position is
reached as is generally the case with conventional toggle
switches.
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a further
embodiment of a side window configuration according to the
invention. The side window 5 includes a window glass 7 in a window
opening 12. The window glass 7 is illustrated in a partially
lowered position. A boundary region 11 surrounds a peripheral
region of the window opening 12. As described above, the boundary
region 11 may be formed by any structural elements that surround
the window opening 12 such as a window frame 6 as shown in FIG. 3.
Alternatively, the A-pillar of the vehicle may form the front part
of the boundary region 11, the inside of the vehicle roof 2
adjacent to the window opening 12 may form the top part of the
boundary region 11, the B-pillar of the vehicle may form the rear
part of the boundary region 11 and a top portion of an inside door
panel 13 may form the bottom part of the boundary region 11.
The touch-sensitive control element 20 is provided in the boundary
region 11 around the window opening 12. The control element 20
extends all the way around the window opening 12 and has three
functionally different control regions 21, 22, 23. As in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first region 21 of the control
element 20 is an upper region of the control element 20 along the
top of the side window 5. However, unlike the embodiment shown in
FIG. 2, the control element 20 of FIG. 3 has two second regions 22
between the upper region 21 of the control element 20 and a lower
region 23 of the control element 20. The second regions 22 of the
control element 20 are for example provided on the window frame 6
as shown in FIG. 3 or alternatively on the A-pillar 8 and the
B-pillar 40, respectively. The third region 23 of the control
element 20 is disposed below the second regions 22 of the control
element 20. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, if the operator
wants to open the window completely, then the operator touches the
third region 23 of the control element 20. If the operator wants to
close the window completely, then the operator will touch the first
region 21 of the control element 20 above the window opening 12. If
the operator wants to open or close the window only partly, then
the operator can touch either one of the second regions 22 of the
control element. Depending at which level, i.e. height, the
operator touches one of the second regions 22, the window glass 7
will be raised or lowered. to that level. The upper edge 30 of the
window glass 7 will be substantially at the same level as the point
where the operator touched one of the second regions 22 of the
control element 20. Providing the control element 20 entirely
around the window opening 12 allows the operator to control the
window by touching any point along the periphery of the window
opening 12.
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a further
embodiment of a side window configuration according to the
invention. The boundary region 11, which surrounds a peripheral
region of the window opening 12, is formed by structural elements
that surround the window opening 12. Here, the boundary region 11
is formed by the A-pillar 8, which forms the front part of the
boundary region 11. The inside of the vehicle roof 2 adjacent to
the window opening 12 forms the top part of the boundary region 11.
The B-pillar 40 of the vehicle forms the rear part of the boundary
region 11 and the top portion of an inside door panel 13 forms the
bottom part of the boundary region 11.
The control element 20 of FIG. 4 is again subdivided in three
functional regions 21, 22, 23. The first region 21 of the control
element 20 is provided along the top of the side window opening 12
and serves for raising the window glass 7 all the way to the top
and close the window completely. The second region 22 of the
control element 20 is provided along the A-pillar 8. The third
region 23 of the control element 20 is disposed at the bottom of
the A-pillar 8 and serves to open the window completely. The
operation of the control element 20 is the same as described above.
If the window is to be opened completely, then the operator has to
touch the third region 23 of the control element 20. If the window
is to be closed completely, then the operator has to touch the
first region 21 of the control element 20. If the window is to be
partially opened, then the operator has to touch the second region
22 of the control element 20. The upper edge 30 of the window glass
7 will be substantially at the same level as the point where the
operator touches the second region 22 of the control element 20.
The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 is advantageous in case an
installation of the control element 20 on the window frame is
difficult or results in an inconvenient operation or in case of a
frameless window.
In order to improve the intuitive operation, it is advantageous to
label the various control regions. The labeling is preferably done
by using pictograms that are easy to understand. In FIG. 4, the
first region 21 of the control element 20 which serves for closing
the window completely is labeled with a pictogram of a key 41 in
order to indicate that this control region 21 of the control
element 20 closes the window. The second region 22 of the control
element 20 is labeled with a double arrow 42 which is oriented in
an up and down direction in order to indicate that the second
region 22 of the control element 20 is used to raise and lower the
window. The third region 23 of the control element 20 is labeled
with a pictogram 43 that indicates a completely opened window. The
pictograms are preferably positioned either in the respective
control regions or directly adjacent to the control regions.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a control element 50 for a
roof panel 4 of a vehicle. The control element 50 is a
substantially flat element. In order to improve the intuitive
operation of the control element 50, the control element 50 is
shaped such that the operator will recognize the control element as
a representation of the sliding roof. In this case, the control
element 50 has a substantially rectangular shape which the operator
will recognize as a representation of the substantially rectangular
roof panel 4. In order to further improve the intuitive operation
of the control element, it is preferred to mount the control
element 50 in the vicinity of the roof opening. The control element
50 can for example be mounted on the inside of the vehicle roof
close to the upper edge of the windshield. The color and surface
structure of the control element 50 is preferably adapted to the
roof liner of the vehicle in order to make the control element 50
aesthetically pleasing.
The sliding roof can be controlled to be in a completely closed
position, in a tilted position, in a partially opened position and
in a completely opened position. The control element 50 is divided
into several regions such that each region corresponds to a
corresponding position of the roof panel 4. A first region 51 of
the control element 50 is used to completely close the sliding
roof. A second region 52 is used to tilt the roof panel 4. A third
region 53 is used to partially open or close the roof panel 4
wherein the operator can control the degree of opening of the
sliding roof by touching a corresponding area or subregion of the
third region 53 of the control element. A fourth region 54 of the
control element 50 is used to completely open the sliding roof.
The control element 50 for the sliding roof operates as follows. If
the sliding roof is to be closed completely, then the operator has
to touch the first region 51 of the control element 50. The control
element 50 is sensitive to manual interaction, for example it
detects a change in pressure, conductivity or capacitance, and
detects the manual interaction in its first region 51 and causes a
control of the sliding roof such that the sliding roof is closed
completely. If the operator wants to tilt the roof panel 4 of the
sliding roof, then this can be done by touching the second region
52 of the control element 50. If the sliding roof is to be opened
completely, then the operator will touch the fourth region 54 the
control element 50. In case the operator wishes to have the sliding
roof partially open, then the operator will touch the third region
53 of the control element 50. Depending on where the operator
touches the third region 53 of the control element 50, the sliding
roof will be opened or closed to a desired degree. Preferably, the
position of the leading edge of the roof panel 4 in the roof
opening 3 will substantially correspond to the point where the
operator touches the third region 53 of the control element 50
along its longitudinal axis. Specifically, if the operator touches
the third region 53 of the control element 50 close to the fourth
region 54, then the sliding roof will open almost entirely and
conversely, if the operator touches the third region 53 of the
control element at a point close to the second region 52 of the
control element, then the sliding roof will close almost entirely.
The third region 53 of the control element 50 allows the operator
to precisely adjust the degree of opening with a single touch. The
control element 50 is preferably configured such that the sliding
roof moves back and forth simultaneously with the operator's finger
sliding back and forth in the third region 53 of the control
element 50.
The control element 50 is preferably mounted such that the
orientation of the various control regions 51, 52, 53, 54 of the
control element 50 correspond to respective positions of the roof
panel 4. In other words, the control element 50 is preferably
mounted such that the first region 51 of the control element is
oriented toward the front of the vehicle and the fourth region 54
of the control element 50 is oriented toward the rear of the
vehicle. The third region 53 of the control element 50 adjusts the
degree of opening of the sunroof such that the roof panel 4 moves
toward the front of the vehicle as the operator touches points of
the third region 53 that are further forward and conversely the
roof panel 4 moves toward the rear of the vehicle as the operator
touches points of the third region 53 that are further rearward.
This allows an intuitive control for opening and closing the
sliding roof or sunroof because the movement direction and the
desired position of the roof panel 4 correspond to the location on
the control element 50 that the operator touches.
In order to further improve the intuitive operation of the sliding
roof, the respective control regions of the control element can be
labeled with pictograms. The first region 51 of the control element
which is used to completely close the sliding roof is labeled with
a pictogram of a key 41. The second region 52 which is used to tilt
the sliding roof is labeled with a pictogram 44 indicating a tilted
roof panel. The third region 53 which is used to adjust the degree
of opening or closing of the sliding roof is labeled with a
wedge-shaped pictogram 45 indicating the possibility of adjusting
the degree of opening of the sliding roof. The fourth region 54 of
the control element 50, which is used to completely open the
sliding roof, is labeled with a pictogram 46 that indicates an open
sliding roof.
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of a control element 50 for a
sliding roof of a vehicle that controls two functions of the
sliding roof. In this case the sliding roof has a roof panel 4
whose degree of optical transparency or darkening can be adjusted
by adjusting the optical absorbency or reflectivity of the roof
panel 4. The control element 50 is configured to control the
position of the roof panel 4 as well as the optical properties of
the roof panel 4.
With respect to controlling the position of the sliding roof panel
4, the control element 50 of FIG. 6 operates just like the control
element of FIG. 5. The roof panel 4 can be in a completely closed
position, in a tilted position, in a partially opened position and
in a completely opened position. In addition, the transparency of
the roof panel 4 can be controlled by adjusting optical properties
such as the absorbency or the reflectivity.
The control element 50 is divided into regions such that each
region corresponds to either a corresponding position of the roof
panel 4 or a degree of transparency of the roof panel 4. The first
region 51 of the control element 50 is used to completely close the
sliding roof, the second region 52 is used to tilt the roof panel
4. The third region 53 is used to partially open or close the
sliding roof as described with reference to the control element of
FIG. 5. The fourth region 54 of the control element 50 is used to
completely open the sliding roof.
A fifth region 55 of the control element 50 allows to make the roof
panel as dark as possible by increasing its absorbency or
reflectivity. A sixth region 56 allows adjusting the degree of
darkening such that the roof panel 4 gets darker as the operator
touches points of the sixth region 56 that are closer to the fifth
region 55 and conversely the roof panel 4 gets lighter, i.e. more
transparent, as the operator touches points of the sixth region 56
that are closer to a seventh region 57. The seventh region 57 of
the control element 50 is used to make the sunroof as light or
transparent as possible.
With respect to adjusting the position of the roof panel, the
control element 50 of FIG. 6 operates just like the control element
of FIG. 5. The various regions 51, 52, 53, 54 of the control
element 50 are used for that purpose. The control of the optical
properties of the sliding roof is intuitively clear because the
fifth region 55 for completely darkening the roof panel 4 is
adjacent to the first region 51 of the control element for
completely closing the sliding roof. The seventh region 57 for
making the sliding roof as transparent as possible is adjacent to
the fourth region 54 of the control element 50 for completely
opening the sliding roof. The regions 53 and 56 for adjusting the
degree of opening and darkening the sliding roof are also adjacent
to one another. As described above, the control element 50 is
mounted such that the orientation of the various control regions of
the control element corresponds to the positions of the roof panel
4, which means that the control element 50 is preferably mounted
such that the first and fifth regions 51, 55 of the control element
are oriented toward the front of the vehicle 1 and the fourth and
seventh regions 54, 57 of the control element 50 are oriented
toward the rear of the vehicle 1.
The intuitive operation of the sliding roof is improved by labeling
the respective control regions of the control element 50 with
pictograms. The control regions of the control element 50 for
opening, closing and tilting the sunroof are labeled with
pictograms 41, 44, 45, 46 as described with reference to FIG. 5.
The control regions 55, 56, 57 of the control element 50 for
changing the darkness or optical transparency of the sunroof are
labeled corresponding to their function. The fifth region 55 of the
control element 50 which is used to switch the sliding roof to its
minimum transparency is labeled with a pictogram of a moon 47. The
sixth region 56 of the control element 50 which is used to adjust
the degree of absorbency/reflectivity of the sunroof is labeled
with a wedge-shaped pictogram 45 indicating the possibility of
adjusting the degree of darkening. The seventh region 57 of the
control element 50, which is used to switch the sunroof to its
maximum transparency, is labeled with a pictogram of a sun 48.
FIGS. 7 to 9 are diagrammatic plan views of a further embodiments
of control elements 50 for controlling a sliding roof. In this
case, arrows 61, 62 are used to indicate the actuation for opening
and closing of a sliding roof and arrows 63 are used to indicate
the actuation for opening/closing the sliding roof and moving the
roof panel 4 up and down.
* * * * *